


Rivers Run Deep

by Paris_The_Lazy_Writer



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batfamily (DCU), Gen, I literally just wrote this cause the idea for River popped into my head, batfam, but like in a positive way, was reading discourse on Tahlia and decided Damian needed a governess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28378125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paris_The_Lazy_Writer/pseuds/Paris_The_Lazy_Writer
Summary: River hasn't heard the name "Nahr" in a very long time. In fact not since her execution order. Until of course an assassin coming after her and a child she hasn't seen in years sparks the need to intervene.Basically an OC insert into non-canon Batfam antics with some drama. AKA what if Damian had a nursemaid/governess who raised him because Tahlia was disinterested/above the task (going with harsh and uncaring Tahlia in this). She disappeared, and Damian never mentions her because he thought she'd been executed. Until of course, she steps in to save him from an assassin sent by Slade.Not a whole fic, just bits and pieces. May actually write the whole thing later.
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so bear with me.  
> I do not know a lick of Arabic, but I don't want to erase the fact that Damian is in fact Arabic, and his nursemaid likely would have been as well.  
> I refuse to attempt to butcher Arabic, so the only attempt at the language in here is the nickname River has for him, her original name, and the lyrics copy and pasted for a lullaby from this source:  
> https://lyricstranslate.com/en/nami-nami-nami-nami.html
> 
> It's a lullaby that is very popular in Egypt, I totally recommend checking out this youtube:  
> https://youtu.be/L0pQVnLIDig  
> (a video of a performance by the ODO Ensemble, it's gorgeous!)
> 
> So... apologies again if anything is incorrect, I absolutely take genuine criticism and if you have any suggestions, please let me know!

River took a deep breath before diving into the water. She’d heard the desperation in the Bat's shout. 

With the toss of a small stone, the surface tension broke, and she dove straight into the icy bay. Deep below the surface, Robin continued to sink, bubbles floating towards her as he struggled against the ropes.

She kicked harder until she caught up to him and cut the ropes keeping him tied to the anchor.  
Now if they could just surface.  


Lungs burning for another breath, she kept forcing water beneath them, against the currrent. After a grueling two minutes submerged, she surfaced, pulling Robin up alongside her, relieved that he immediately gasped for breath before trying to curse her out.  


“Who even are you?” he grumbled as River pulled him onto the bank and cut the ropes around his wrists and ankles.  


A low chuckle slipped out as she tried to catch her breath, “you do not remember me." She sheathed her knife as the cold set into her bones. This early in spring the harbor was still cold as the arctic. Even Robin’s jaw chattered as he tried to hide his shivering.  


“Why would I remember you?” his eyes narrowed, the mask scrunching up around his nose in a seemingly threatening way. Except River knew his face beneath it, and knew that there was a little spot between his eyes that turned red every time he did that. She let another small laugh slip.  


“A pity, I was looking forward to a reuniting. Does the name Nahr sound familiar?”  
With the sweep of a cape, Batman appeared behind her, batarang at the ready, but Robin's entire demeanor changed.  


“Don’t move.”  


She rolled her eyes and wrung out her hair before starting a plait to keep it from freezing to her neck, “relax, unlike most of your company tonight, I come without threat.”  


“As if. I'll cut your tongue from your head. How dare you say that name?”  


“Well, I am happy to see you have not changed much. I go by River now, the English version is easier for my neighbors. I was your nursemaid while you were still with your mother.”  


Robin froze, not quite hiding the surprise, Batman had yet to lower his batarang.  


“You're supposed to be dead... If you're really her, prove it… what did I call you?”  


“That’s too easy, you called me Na-Na. I however, called you _Amiri_.”  


“Well?” Batman raised a brow.  


Robin crossed his arms, “it’s her.”  


Batman nodded, “and why are you here?”  


“Simply to protect my child. There are rumors that he is the object of Slade’s new order. I discovered this when a guest I had not expected tried to kill me.”  


Robin shook his head, “ridiculous.”  


“After I was relieved of my duty I kept watch in the event you need me. Alas, you are a strong young prince, and you do not need me, perhaps not even now, but I could not give it to chance.”  


Batman narrowed his eyes, but Damian gave him a look.  


“Who’s hunting me?”  


“I know not, I could not get the information from my assassin,” she shrugged, “I am outside of practice.”  


“Your English could use some work as well,” Damian huffed and lowered his sword, still on guard, but not worried about River's presence. "Where are you staying?”  


River shrugged, “where there is a bed. I move about the city often.”  


“Father…” Damian almost looked hopeful, which surprised River. Batman simply pinched the bridge of his nose before waving them up the wall to the waiting Batmobile.  



	2. Running a Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tidbit I thought of where Dami is sick, but recognizes the lullaby River used to sing to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Same notes as previous chapter!)   
> Okay, so bear with me.  
> I do not know a lick of Arabic, but I don't want to erase the fact that Damian is in fact Arabic, and his nursemaid likely would have been as well.  
> I refuse to attempt to butcher Arabic, so the only attempt at the language in here is the nickname River has for him, her original name, and the lyrics copy and pasted for a lullaby from this source:  
> https://lyricstranslate.com/en/nami-nami-nami-nami.html
> 
> It's a lullaby that is very popular in Egypt, I totally recommend checking out this youtube:  
> https://youtu.be/L0pQVnLIDig  
> (a video of a performance by the ODO Ensemble, it's gorgeous!)
> 
> So... apologies again if anything is incorrect, I absolutely take genuine criticism and if you have any suggestions, please let me know!

River sang quietly as she tried to ignore what was happening downstairs. She hadn’t expected acceptance of any kind from Damian’s new family, and instead, she was welcomed with open arms into a family with more strays than she could have ever imagined.  


In the last two months, she had gone from silently keeping an eye on the son she couldn't claim to sharing a family with him, to enjoying the kind of family neither of them had been allowed in their youth. No matter how different each of them were, they still managed to come together on one thing. They looked out for each other. 

It was a lot to process, but now with Damian’s hunters actively prowling, it was a comfort.

نامي نامي يا صغيري تانغفى عا لحاصيري نامي عالعتيمي تا تنزاح الغيمي ويصير عنا ضو كبير يضوي عا كل الجيري 

“River?”  
River spun on her heel to find Damian rubbing his eyes and standing in the door behind her. It was at moments like this when she could tell he really was still only ten years old.  


This time last year, she'd been stalking the main palace on Infinity Island, hoping for a glimpse of Damian, proof that he was alive and well. She almost wondered if she should have taken him with her when she escaped the island. After all, she was back, a guardian in the shadows, praying that she wouldn't need to intervene on the boy's behalf. 

It didn't matter much now, they still wound up part of the same family, and Damian was finally happy, at least as far as she could tell he was.

“Yes, Amiri?”  


“Where are the others?”  


“Downstairs,” she waved him in and put an arm around him, still in shock to have him back.  


Damian leaned into the hug, and after a moment, she noticed how warm he was. No wonder he hadn’t fought off her affection; the poor kid was sick.  


“You are… how did Dick say it to Jason…" she tapped her chin and pursed her lips, searching for the words, "Burning up.”  
“I’m fine,” Damian narrowed his eyes at some poor tree branch out the window.  
“You are not.”  


Without hesitation, she scooped him off his feet and whisked him away to his bedroom before he could even protest.  


By the time anyone came to find them, River had made tea, had a cool cloth on his forehead, and was subject to the tired, and uncharacteristically childish need for cuddles.  


At least he was asleep when the camera flash went off.  


“Be silent, or I will slice your throat,” she warned as Tim pocketed his phone.  


“Uh… okay,” he whispered and approached the bed in the same silent way all the Bat-children walked.  


“He is sick, do not wake him.”  


“Sick?”  


“A fever, I do not think it is bad, but with the other problems abound, I do not wish to take a chance,” River gently adjusted the cool cloth on his forehead.  


As soon as Tim left, she started the lullaby she’d been singing before, hoping to put Damian back into a deeper sleep.  


نامي نامي يا صغيري  
تانغفى عا لحاصيري  
نامي عالعتيمي تا تنزاح الغيمي  
ويصير عنا ضو كبير  
يضوي عا كل الجيري

بكرة بيّك جاي  
حامل غلة الليمون  
بيجبلك تنورة وشال  
تاتدفي بكانون  
يا زغطورة الحندقة  
شعرك أسود ومنقى  
واللي حبك بيبوسك  
والبغضك شو بيترقى

"Na-Na?" Damian's voice was hoarse as he stirred. 

River looked up from the book Alfred had included in his collection of things to ward off what seemed like an impending flu. Unlike earlier, his face was flush and his skin pale as his sheets. The fever was only getting worse, and Bruce probably needed to call Dr. Leslie. 

"What is it?" 

"Nothing..." he moved to swing his feet out of the bed, but River jumped up and grabbed his shoulder. 

"You are sick, do not get out of bed," his skin was so warm it worried her more. Bruce definitely needed to call Dr. Leslie.

"I'm just going to the bathroom. I'll be right back," Damian pulled away from River's hand, but she allowed it and sat back down in the chair, texting Bruce the brief update.

By the time Damian was back in bed, Alfred had brought a fresh pot of tea, and Dick dropped off a few movies that he promised would "enlighten them on American culture." Damian didn't seem the least bit interested. Instead he seemed to give up on his tough-guy act and flop back into the pillows.

"You should go back to sleep," River smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, gently pushing his bangs off his face. He rarely ever let her hug him or play with his hair, which had hurt at first, but she understood, and respected those wishes.

"Will you sing the lullaby?" His voice was nearly silent, and it was a harsh reminder than even when he was little such requests weren't allowed by his grandfather or his mother. 

Fortunately, neither of them were around to force her into silence.

"Of course I will," she smiled and sang quietly until well after Damian had fallen back to sleep, unaware of Bruce and Alfred watching the scene unfold from the doorway.


End file.
